Global_Observation_Research_Initiative_in_Alpine_Environments
Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments
Scientific survey operation
The Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA) established an international long-term monitoring program and site-based network dealing with high-mountain vegetation and its biological diversity. Its purpose is the in-situ observation and comparative assessment of alpine biodiversity patterns under the impact of accelerating anthropogenic climate change.[1] GLORIA involves sets of permanent plots established at pristine or near-natural sites set aside and monitored to observe the migration of plant species due to climate change.[2] Founded in 2001, the program has grown to more than 120 sites (status January 2016) around the world, distributed from the poles to the tropics."